In the midst of Sudan’s shifting political and economic landscape, one woman has been quietly building a bridge between technology and opportunity.
Tarneem Saeed, the co-founder and CEO of Alsoug.com and Cashi, is redefining what innovation means in a country often viewed through the lens of instability.
As a Sudanese entrepreneur, she turned a local challenge into a digital infrastructure that now underpins one of the region’s fastest-growing fintech and e-commerce ecosystems.
When Saeed launched Alsoug in 2016, the idea seemed deceptively simple: a digital marketplace where Sudanese could buy and sell goods online in a local currency.
But in a nation where digital penetration was limited and financial systems were tightly controlled, the execution demanded far more than a website.
Saeed’s vision was to create trust between buyers and sellers, between citizens and digital platforms, and between technology and the state.
That trust became the cornerstone of Alsoug’s early growth, turning it into Sudan’s leading classifieds and online marketplace within just a few years.
But it was Cashi, Alsoug’s sister fintech venture, that truly signaled Saeed’s ambition to modernize Sudan’s digital economy.
Introduced to address one of the country’s biggest bottlenecks: cash scarcity, Cashi enables users to make electronic payments, transfer money, and pay bills seamlessly.
In a society that had been heavily cash-dependent, it became not just a convenience, but a lifeline.
By integrating digital payments into everyday commerce, Saeed was helping to build the foundation for a more inclusive financial future.
In 2021, Alsoug and Cashi made history: they secured $5 million in funding from Fawry, Egypt’s leading fintech giant, marking Sudan’s first major international tech investment since U.S. sanctions were lifted.
The deal didn’t just validate her company, it signaled to global investors that Sudan’s startup ecosystem was open for business.
Saeed, who had long believed that Sudan could leapfrog its way into the digital era, suddenly found herself at the center of that transformation.
She often describes her mission not in the language of disruption but of reconstruction: rebuilding the connective tissue of a country that had been isolated from global commerce.
Saeed’s influence extends beyond her companies. She has become a vocal advocate for women in tech and entrepreneurship across Sudan, frequently mentoring young founders and pushing for policy frameworks that support inclusive digital transformation.
In a region where women often face systemic barriers to business ownership, her success has become both blueprint and inspiration.
Yet, what makes her story especially powerful is its context. Building a startup in Sudan has meant navigating power cuts, internet shutdowns, inflation, and regulatory uncertainty.
Each of those obstacles could have crippled a less determined founder. But Saeed has turned constraints into creativity, leveraging partnerships, local networks, and data-driven strategy to scale against the odds.
Today, Alsoug and Cashi are more than just companies; they are symbols of what is possible when vision meets persistence.
They connect millions of Sudanese to essential goods and services, facilitate payments across a fragmented economy, and project a powerful message to the world: Sudan’s digital future will be shaped by its own innovators.
For Tarneem Saeed, the work is far from over. As she continues to expand Cashi’s reach and strengthen Alsoug’s marketplace, her long-term vision remains rooted in empowerment — particularly for women, youth, and small businesses.
Her story, at its core, is not just about building platforms, but about building trust in what Sudan can become.
